Teaching Assistantship Practicum (22-23)

Teaching and research assistants (TA/RAs) are essential members of the CEU teaching and research community. Together with faculty mentors and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), their efforts constitute important steps towards strengthening research-based teaching and learning and research skills and experience as well as preparing the next generation of teaching and research doctorates.

Practicum Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:

Understand teaching and research methodologies and approaches.

Reflect on own assumptions about teaching and research.

Intellectual Skills: 

Develop and organize ideas according to a particular framework or purpose.

Acquire critical thinking skills and systematic approaches to teaching and research.  

Engage in self-reflection for improvement in teaching and research skills.

Practical and Transferable Skills:

Design and implement effective learning experiences and research project elements. 

Assert particular skills based on specific teaching and research assistantship plan.


Practicum Description

All doctoral students must enroll for a total of 6 credits in the Teaching and Research Assistantship Practicum on a pass/fail basis as follows:


  1. First Year, Fall Term: ?Teaching in Higher Education Scholarship, Reflection and Innovation? (3 credits)

  2. First Year, Fall Term: Master?s Student Conference Assessment Training:

    1. Master?s Student Conference Advisory Session with TA/RA Coordinator (2 hours approx.)

    2. Assessment of Master?s Student Conference Presentations (5 hours approx.)

  3. First Year, Winter Term OR Second or Third Year, Fall or Winter Term (3 credits): Teaching and/or Research Assistantship

    1. TA/RA Plan Development: Mentors and students develop a plan for fulfillment of the assistantship. The plan should consist of concrete tasks and expectations (deliverables) as well as a timeline for completion as aligned with the practicum learning outcomes and credit hours. The plan is due no later than two weeks after the start of the term in which the student is conducting their TA/RAship.

    2. Classroom Support Sessions (with TA/RA Coordinator and, occasionally, mentors) (three one-hour sessions). First session: Share plans and identify any needed support sessions or trainings.  Second session: Targeted support session(s). Third session: Reflections.

    3. TA/RA Plan Implementation